


Common Past

by deadly_poison



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Autistic Pearl, Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/F, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 11:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7974601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadly_poison/pseuds/deadly_poison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>5 drabbles about Pearl and Amethyst, 4 set in the past and one a little after 'Too Far'.<br/>(Mostly about 'defectiveness')</p>
            </blockquote>





	Common Past

Pearl heard a sound. Footsteps?  
She turned around, expecting to see the corrupted gem she was chasing. It was probably the only gem in this kindergarten by now.  
Instead, she found a very small amethyst.  
They looked at each other in startled silence. Then, the Amethyst started inching closer to her. She didn't seem malicious or violent, so Pearl didn't feel the need to move away or summon her weapon.  
"Hello, I'm Pe-" she interrupted herself.  
The Amethyst was smelling her. The sound Pearl made in that moment would, for centuries to come, be described by Amethyst as a 'squawk'.

 

 

It had been a very busy day. Several corrupted gems had attacked the temple, and some continental human settlements nearby. They had even had to split up to defeat them faster.  
Plus, Pearl was acting weirder than usual. She had been conspicuously staring at her mouth during their last two conversations, and she kept asking Amethyst to repeat things.  
"Is something wrong with your ears?" Amethyst snapped, quite annoyed by having her monster-hunting tales be constantly interrupted by Pearl's 'what did you say?'.  
"With my what?" Pearl answered. Amethyst growled.  
"Ehhh, whatever." She walked away, leaving a confused Pearl behind.

 

 

After that morning's mission, Amethyst had been busy gathering garbage for her newest garbage pile. Now, the pile looked almost complete. Pearl hadn't moved an inch since they came back. She'd been sitting on the beach for hours, allegedly 'resting'.  
Amethyst thought that forming sand figurines and making them endlessly twirl on themselves was an unusual way of resting, but Pearl loved it.  
When the pile was done, Amethyst walked up to her.  
Pearl didn't look at her. Instead, she made another sand-person that looked like Amethyst and she had it join the others in their dance.  
It was beautiful.

 

 

"Are there other pearls on Homeworld?"  
"Yes, Amethyst." Pearl smiled, quietly caressing the other gem's head. It still didn't feel real to her, to be talking to a gem who had never been shaped by Homeworld's culture. She anticipated the next question, eager as always to inform others. "There are lots of rubies too, and a few sapphires, and quartzes-"  
"Are there any other amethysts on Homeworld?"  
She hesitated. "... Yes." But none of the amethysts that looked like you ever made it to Homeworld.  
Pearl had long since decided that Amethyst was never going to know about that terrible detail.

 

 

"So if I'm defective, and you're defective... Does that mean that Opal is defective too?"  
A day had passed since Peridot had told Amethyst she was defective, and she'd taken it surprisingly well. Still, Pearl didn't know what the point of that question was, or if an honest answer would hurt Amethyst's feelings.  
"Well..." Pearl put her index finger under her chin "I think so."  
"You don't sound so sure." Amethyst winked at her. "Why don't we ask her?"  
Pearl grabbed the hand Amethyst offered her, realizing what the other gem meant.  
A flash of light surrounded them.  
Opal smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> (You can take the Pearl/Amethyst interactions in this fic in any way you want, romantic or platonic or whatever)  
> My headcanon is that Pearl is considered defective on Homeworld (Jasper calls her 'lost defective pearl') because she's autistic, plus I'm also autistic so it's an opportunity to write what I know :p  
> The third drabble for example is inspired by irl events... as in I've made a gif of the scene when Pearl twirls on the balcony in Mr. Greg and I can't stop looking at it. Looking at it is soooo satisfying.  
> English is not my first language, so if there are bits that sound too weird now you know why.


End file.
